Lighting a Candle is Better Than Cursing the Dark

from: Clarence Musgrave

Circular Letter #178

31st July 2004

In December 2001, when we were having a meal with some friends here in Jerusalem,

one of them said that there would be no change in American policy towards Israel and

Palestine until there was a change of President in the US. With the rest of the

world, we are having to watch the process of the nomination of candidates for the

Election in November, and wondering what change, if any, might come. In the Haaretz

Weekend Magazine of 23rd July, there is a feature article about Mr. Kerry, which

includes the following (pg. 20):

"Kerry is now totally aligned with Israel as well. At the beginning of the campaign, there were still a few faux pas, as when he

condemned the separation fence at a convention of the Arab American Institute, when

he supported the Geneva Initiative, or when he suggested Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter

or James Baker as intermediaries in the Middle East - men considered problematic for

Israel by the American-Jewish community. But in recent months Kerry has fixed all

his mistakes.